My ALS Challenge

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you were able to spend some quality time with family and friends. I was able to connect with some old friends and plenty of family. I knew it would be tiring – every outing is tiring – but it was worth the recovery the next day to have these experiences and create these memories. It also reminded me of how my limits are constantly changing, and the adaptation required is constant as well. The challenge, sometimes, is it takes some time to figure out what new limits are and how to adapt. Once you adjust, they change again. It is a constant re-alignment. and re-adjustment. Am I okay with that? That question doesn’t factor in my decision-making. I don’t have a choice. I have to be. So, as I keep saying, more lemons to continue making lemonade.

There are things I am NOT okay with, though. I have written about accessibility and mobility in previous posts. In Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities on or before January 1, 2025. I hope this happens, but I honestly find it difficult to believe this will be achieved based on my own experiences.

Case in point, my family and I traveled into Toronto to see Handel’s Messiah at Roy Thompson Hall just before Christmas. We decided to go out for dinner beforehand and made a reservation at one of the many restaurants within close walking distance. We drove down so we could park directly under the theatre and, therefore, reduce the amount of effort I would need to expend. Great. So far, so good.

After my wife dropped us off by the elevator – the very limited accessible parking spaces were already taken – we made our way to street level. The restaurant was across the street and, in our way, a buckled sidewalk that was difficult to navigate. Okay, a minor inconvenience as I held my son’s arm so I wouldn’t fall. I had only brought my cane as I knew maneuverability would be challenging. We crossed the street, navigating streetcar tracks, and I notice all the restaurants are accessible by stairs only – not just the one we are going to, but ALL the restaurants along that block. Okay, railing in one hand, son’s arm in the other, we climbed the stairs. I’m getting tired.

Once inside, we get seated. I need to go to the washroom. They are all individual gender-neutral stalls and very accessible. Great. That worked well. We order our dinner, and I had forgot to bring my adaptive utensils. Nope, none available. Then again, I would not expect restaurants to have adaptive utensils – but what a great idea if they did!

We got through dinner, made it slowly across the street to the concert hall and, once we showed our tickets we were directed to the accessibility ramp – our seats were in the mezzanine.

After the concert and having napped a little during the 2nd half of the concert – I won’t talk about the intermission adventures going to the washroom, except to say, thankfully, they did have accessible toilets – we made our way over to the accessibility ramp to depart. Of course, the ramp terminated by the coat check. Hmm, how do we get past this long line of people blocking the ramp? Thankfully, some kind folks noticed us and made room so we could squeeze by and continue to the exit.

So, how do I sum up this evening? It was great. I had a lovely time with my family. We went out for a nice dinner and enjoyed a beautiful Christmas concert. It is added to our collection of family memories. Everything else is part of having to adapt, though it would be nice not to.

What I do want to point out is this: when thinking about accessibility, consider it from the point of view of those with disabilities. For businesses that have not yet put in accommodations – is the investment offset by the potential increase in clientele who can now frequent your establishment, especially in an aging society?

How cool would it be for a restaurant to have adaptive utensils for clientele, upon request? Would this not offer a unique service?

More importantly, wouldn’t tapping into a growing demographic – and marketing to it, even just a little – be a good business decision? Especially as many businesses talk about a struggling economy?

Whether it is in the food or retail industry, service industry, product development & marketing, or any other industry for that matter. You may already be factoring in accessibility, but from what perspective?

Try opening a jar when you are unable to put enough pressure to turn the lid, let alone gripping it. What about pulling open a door when you are unable to maintain balance while stepping backwards? Take a moment and consider whether what you think may be accessible, actually is. You may be surprised by the answer.

For me, as it gets more difficult to use my hands – be it to use utensils, type or perform other activities requiring fine motor skills – my mobility continues be impacted and my fatigue slowly increases, anything that will allow for easier accessibility and mobility is truly welcomed.